Games of Glory
by Porcelain Birds
Summary: Chloe King is a hot commodity, especially with all the Mai, in New York City. But speaking of hot, there is one British Mai that's been on her mind. And in her bed. And pretty much all over her. Yet she's supposed to remain professional? Yeah right.
1. Chapter 1: Sleeping Arrangements

**Warnings:** _This story will be on the high end of the 'T' spectrum. There will most certainly be an 'M' story accompanying this with outtakes that cannot be rated 'T', but that won't be for a little while._

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor 'Guardian Angel' by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus'. This is fanfiction, and not made for profit._

_I am British, so I tend to spell things like differently. I tried to keep it American, but feel free to point out if I wrote 'colour', or 'mum', when Alek is not speaking._

_As for updating frequency, I have few promises. Saturdays and Sundays will always have updates, but I can make no promises for the rest of the week. Just keep an eye out, and I'll try my best to update quickly._

_Thank you for reading The Edge of Glory. Please review and let me know what you think!_

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><p>"How did you get sixty points with a three letter word?"<p>

Chloe and Amy were currently sitting on the floor of the moving RV, playing Scrabble on the coffee table. Meredith King was driving, and mumbling under her breath about the drivers on the road, while Paul was lounging on one of the couches, reading one of his many comics. Jasmine was watching the game with amused interest, while Alek was either sleeping on the other couch, or doing a very good job of feigning it. All in all, it was very quiet, for an RV, containing five teenagers, three of them Mai, but then again, it was only three hours in to their little 'road trip'. And considering they were travelling to New York, they still had quite a ways to go.

"I used a 'Y', and a 'K'. Plus, I hit a triple word score, and a double word score." Chloe said smugly, and Amy glared at her.

"Who the heck even uses the word 'yak' anyways?" She retorted, unhappy at having lost. Normally she dominated at this game with her dads. Then again, they were both psychiatrists, not English majors. And of course, Chloe was pretty much the walking thesaurus, had been for years.

"People who want to win Scrabble." Chloe said in a superior tone, and Amy rolled her eyes good naturedly.

"You know, I don't even know why you play that with her Amy." Paul finally spoke from his position on the couch. "I mean, Chloe pretty much knows every word in the English language."

"Not to mention Russian and Spanish!" Meredith piped up from her position in the driver's seat.

Jasmine glanced at Chloe curiously. It seemed that there was no end to the little things that Chloe did, or was capable of, that surprised her and Alek. Speaking of her cousin, she knew he was pretending to be asleep, so she decided to take the liberty for both of them, to learn a little bit more about the girl who was destined to save the Mai race.

"Really? You're fluent in three languages?"

Chloe shook her head, and Amy and Paul rolled their eyes simultaneously. "No, no, I'm not. I mean, I know how to speak Russian, because that's what I learned to speak. I'm not fluent though, I'm much more proficient in English. I was pretty young when I learned to speak Russian, and there were more important things to be doing, I guess. But my dad was Hispanic, so he taught me Spanish along with English. I'm hardly fluent though."

"But she is a walking thesaurus." Paul interjected, smiling kindly at his Mai friend. "Whenever we did those peer checks in English, she would always send my paper back with a ton of red marks, because she crossed out words, and put in better ones."

Chloe blushed, as Amy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, my paper always looked like it was bleeding ink. She'll sometimes even interrupt us in the middle of a conversation too. We're used to it by now though, so it's all good."

Jasmine gave Chloe an odd look. "I'm sensing a story here. Care to enlighten me? And I'm sure Alek is interested to know, while he's pretending to be asleep." Chloe and Amy glanced at the British boy sprawled out on the couch, and he cracked one eye open to glare at his smirking cousin.

"I don't know. There's not really a story, per se, I'm just interested in words, you know? I mean, it's pretty much one of the few constants, no matter where you go. No matter what language you speak, you still use words. They're the key tools in communication, and they can change people." Realizing that both Alek and Jasmine were staring, she blushed, and glanced down. "It's stupid, I know."

Jasmine shook her head. "Not at all. It means that you truly are the Uniter, if you hadn't already proved that with your first death." Chloe winced at the memory. "It was said that the Uniter would join together the races, not with violence, but with words. That's the mark of a true leader, you know. It's why my mother is slightly…lacking." Jasmine looked nervous to be speaking ill of her mother in such a way, but it was understood among the Pride that all must give constructive criticism; even the leader was not exempt.

"Well that's good. At least now we know Chloe isn't just plain crazy." Amy said, and Chloe shoved her, laughing slightly.

"You're one to talk." Alek snorted, and found himself on the receiving end of a glare from her. He stood and stretched his arms, which lifted up his t-shirt. He caught Amy glancing over and blushing, and he tossed her a wink. Sadly, in his opinion, Chloe was not looking, too busy with something on her phone."

"Frank and Vanessa say hello!" Meredith called from up at the front of the RV. And Frank told you kids to 'learn a lot'!" All five teenagers snorted in derision. Meredith's boyfriend, Frank, was under the impression that the five teenagers were travelling to New York for an educational trip, to immerse themselves in culture, and for some learning thing or another, hosted by their school.

Of course, that was just their cover story. New York City was the intended destination, but it was for Mai purposes. A small little convention of sorts, that required the presence of the San Francisco Pride, and of course, the Uniter.

It was only the worldwide gathering of the Mai. Nothing too important.

Chloe was nervous about it. She was terrified of saying the wrong thing, of meeting different people, of doing something that she shouldn't. It was hard, having the hopes and goals of an entire race upon her shoulders. She had already talked to Valentina about how to act at the gathering, but she was still very much in the dark. After all, she was still incredibly naïve about many Mai customs and traditions. And if she said or did the wrong thing, it would reflect badly on the San Francisco Pride. As manipulative as Valentina Cortez could be, Chloe trusted her to some degree; besides, she trusted no one else as her Protectors, other than Jasmine and Alek.

So she would just have to do her best to follow all the guidelines Valentina set out for her, in the form of a hundred page manual. Paul and Amy had accompanied her for moral support of course, and her mother had been enlightened in all things Mai. She was still uncomfortable with a lot, including the fact that her only daughter had died, but she was actually doing pretty amazing, all things considered. After all, her daughter was destined to save the Mai race, yet the freak out had been minimal. Chloe was so proud.

"Tell Frank I said 'implied!'" Chloe called to her mother, from her position, sitting Indian style on the floor. Meredith and Frank had become quite serious about one another, and Chloe had been happy to include Frank on some of the King family's traditions.

"Will do!" Meredith called, and Jasmine and Alek couldn't help but smile. They were in the agreement that Chloe had the coolest mom ever. Jasmine was envious, as her own mother was so driven to be a successful leader. Alek often missed his own mother, but he did not begrudge Chloe hers. He knew that Meredith King meant the world to Chloe, and their relationship was unique. He was grateful that she had accepted Chloe's secret life with such grace. If her reaction had been anything different, Chloe would have had to been placed in hiding. Alek knew that if her mother had not been accepting of her, it would have broken Chloe's heart. And of course, it was his job to make sure that her heart remained whole and intact, among other things.

"Well, I think we'll be winding down in about an hour or two. I'm getting pretty bushed." Chloe smiled and nodded at her mom. Alek exchanged a glance with Jasmine, and spoke up from the back.

"If you would like me to drive, I don't mind." After all, he was seventeen, he had his license. He was a superb driver, considering he had been involved in a high speed chase when he was fourteen. The Order had plagued his life for far too long, in his opinion.

However, Meredith did not seem to share the same confidence in his abilities. She glanced at him through the rearview mirror, and Alek could see in her eyes that she still thought of him as the boy who was on her daughter's bed. And Alek couldn't really blame her. After all, his intentions were always honorable, when it came to Chloe.

"That's fine. We'll only be driving for a little bit more, and then we'll stop at an RV park. We can figure out the sleeping arrangements then."

All the teenagers exchanged glances. This was going to be fun.

* * *

><p>"So, let's figure out who's sleeping where. We have a queen sized bed, a single bed, and two tents. Who wants to take the beds?"<p>

"You should take the queen sized bed Mom." Chloe immediately said, and all of them agreed. Meredith had been doing the driving, besides, she was the adult here. The privilege belonged to her. However, the rest of them still had to figure out where they were sleeping.

Meredith seemed to have come up with an idea that sounded good, however, when she spoke it aloud, several flaws were seen.

"Why doesn't Chloe sleep with me, Alek can sleep in the other bed, Jasmine and Amy can share a tent, and Paul can have his own tent." Meredith was wise in the fact that she had tuned in to Alek's irritation towards Paul, but Paul did not like the idea of sleeping alone. At all. Surprisingly, it was Amy who had the solution.

"I have a better idea! Jasmine can take the other bed, Chloe and I can share a tent, and the boys can just suck it up and share." Said boys exchanged a glance; Paul's excited expression was comical, while Alek's dark glare was equally humorous.

Chloe knew that Amy was planning something, but she decided to go along with it, and see how things panned out. "I'm cool with that."

However, Chloe wasn't the only one who noticed that Amy had something up her sleeve. Meredith seemed uneasy about accepting Amy's proposal, but in the end, she was tired enough to finally concede, if only to go and fall asleep as soon as possible.

But as soon as the four of them were outside, tents in hand, Alek turned to glare at Amy. "You had better have a different idea, if you want your boyfriend to survive the night." Of course, as always, Paul looked far more eager than scared, but Amy simply rolled her eyes.

"Don't be dramatic London. Of course I have a better idea. I'm going to sleep with Paul, and you're going to sleep with Chloe."

Instantly Alek relaxed, and shot a smirk to Chloe, who was staring at Amy in horror. "Oh, well that I'm fine with."

Yet it seemed that Chloe was not fine with that. "You're kidding, right? I am not sharing a tent with him! My mom would kill me, then him, and then you Amy! We are sticking to the original plan, and like you said, the boys will just have to suck it up."

Amy shook her head. "Clo, you're the only one who has a problem with it. Therefore, the majority wins." Chloe glared at her best friend, and then glared at Alek, who simply held his hands up in a peaceful gesture. He had nothing to do with it, and he didn't plan on being blamed for taking advantage of Amy's ingenious plan.

"Fine. I'll sleep with Alek." Chloe grumbled. When Alek dropped his mouth open to make a comment, but before he could even utter a word, Chloe had turned the full intensity of her glare onto him. "Don't. Say. It."

* * *

><p>Surprisingly, Chloe and Paul were the only two who knew how to set up the tents, and they took advantage of that, rubbing it in Alek and Amy's face. Well, mostly Chloe rubbed it into Alek's face that she had finally found something that she could do something that the British Mai couldn't.<p>

Not that Alek was really complaining. After all, the view from where he was sitting was quite nice, watching Chloe bend down, and reach up. Amy too, seemed to enjoy it, though she was having more fun watching Paul act masculine for once.

"So, are the tents ready yet?" Amy asked, and Chloe rolled her eyes. She loved her friend, but she couldn't help but wonder if she had ever even seen a tent. Because the exoskeleton was not usually what people thought of, when they thought of camping.

"Well, if you're okay with rain and bugs possibly getting in, then yes. But at the moment, we still need to put the canvas on."

Amy nodded lamely, unable to come up with a better response then, "Well, you do that."

A few minutes later, Chloe and Paul deemed their work done. While Alek was all for climbing in the tent he would share with Chloe, and falling asleep, he was forced to endure five minutes of alone time with Paul, as the girls got changed. Chloe was changing in Amy and Paul's tent, while Paul was changing in Alek's tent. Well, Alek and Chloe's tent.

Finally, Paul left, and a few moments later, Chloe entered. As she did, Alek tried not to stare. What she was wearing was fairly simple, just an oversized t-shirt, and a pair of tiny shorts, but she still looked stunning. Her long legs were completely on display, her beautiful blonde curls had been pulled back into a messy bun. The t-shirt was loose around her body, but it clung tightly to her in certain places. And all Alek could think about was how much he would enjoy seeing Chloe in his clothes.

"What?" She asked in an annoyed tone. Evidently she had noticed him staring. "We're in a tent, I'm not about to wear silken Victoria's Secret pajamas. Especially not when I'm sleeping next to you." She muttered the last statement under her breath.

Alek simply smirked. "Ah, so you admit you do have Victoria's Secret pajamas then. Interesting tidbit to know love." Colour flooded Chloe's cheeks, and Alek smirked to himself. So it was true. He might have to catch her wearing them some night.

"Don't call me love." She muttered, and began arranging the sleeping bag, placing her pillow on the end, giving Alek a lovely view of her backside. He lounged back against his own sleeping bag, hands behind his head.

"Force of habit love. It's just a term of endearment. You'll get used to the lingo eventually." Chloe rolled her eyes and began nestling into her sleeping back.

"I certainly hope not. That would require inordinate amount of time spent around you. I have better things to do." Alek raised his eyebrows. Chloe was becoming quite the snarky little vixen under his watch. Oh, he was so proud.

"Your flattery is overwhelming darling. Please, continue with your Shakespearean words, worthy of a cheesy love song."

Chloe frowned at him. "Hey, I love cheesy love songs! They tend to produce great music."

Alek frowned at Chloe. "You listen to too much music. It's no wonder you're attacked at every waking moment." Chloe glared at him. "But what's your favorite band?" He decided he might as well reach for common ground. Chloe was a music junkie, and he appreciated good music.

The blonde Mai gave him a serious look. "You know that's like asking me to pick a favorite child. If I had children?" Alek simply continued to give her a stare, and she sighed, and finally answered him. "I don't know. It really depends. When I'm depressed, I'll listen to anything from Mumford and Sons, to Adele. If it's a good day, I might turn on the Beatles, or Snow Patrol. I just like music."

"Any particular reason?" Alek asked curiously. He had never understood Chloe's fascination with music, but he acknowledged it had to come from somewhere, and what he had seen of her mother, he doubted that it came from Meredith King.

Chloe looked at the ground, covered by the canvas of the tent. "I don't know. I've always loved music. I don't remember much of the orphanage, I was only three when my dad adopted me, but I remember listening to this music box, every night as I fell asleep. My birth parents left it for me. And then when my parents adopted me, my dad would always sing me a lullaby at night."

For a single moment, a fragile silence lay suspended in the air between the two Mai. It was not awkward or out of place, rather perfect, and appropriate for the setting. But as much as both wanted to linger in the moment, they both knew that it couldn't last.

"Well, after that completely awkward, and exposing confession, I think I'll be going to bed now." Chloe said, a pretty blush tainting her pale cheeks. Alek's hand instinctively shot out and grabbed Chloe's slim, delicate wrist.

"No. I mean, no, don't be embarrassed. It wasn't awkward. It's good to know that you trust me with the serious stuff."

Chloe met his eyes, surprise evident in her own. "Alek, I trust you with my life. All of my lives." She said honestly. "And as much as you don't want to hear it, I would sacrifice any one of my lives to save you." Alek wanted to protest, to say that Chloe's lives were so much more important, but they had already had this discussion. "I mean, I would do it for Jasmine, or Amy, or Paul, or my mom too."

As the tension in the air rose, and the awkwardness grew, both shuffled slightly in their sleeping bags, and finally settled in for the impending night's sleep. Turning to glance at Chloe, Alek said in his cocky tone, "I'll be alert tonight. Go ahead and listen to your iPod." Chloe shot him a grateful smile, before placing the earbuds in her ears. Alek watched with fascination as she drifted off to sleep within a few moments.

Shifting his head, he stared at the top of the tent, letting the lyrics of the song she was listening to float into his ears.

_I will never let you fall._

_I will stand up for you forever._

_I'll be there for you through it all._

_Even if saving you sends me to Heaven._


	2. Chapter 2: Political Game

**Warnings:** _This story will be on the high end of the 'T' spectrum. There will most certainly be an 'M' story accompanying this with outtakes that cannot be rated 'T', but that won't be for a little while._

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Nine Lives of Chloe King. This is fanfiction, and not made for profit._

_I am British, so I tend to spell things like differently. I tried to keep it American, but feel free to point out if I wrote 'colour', or 'mum', when Alek is not speaking._

_Also, after Tuesday's episode, I thought I'd toss my two cents into the whole discussion. Feel free to scroll past, these are simply my own opinions. I know a lot of people were irritated with Chloe, and thought her to be selfish, but I have to admit, I thought she was actually incredibly compassionate a lot of the time. The fact of the matter is, she just turned Brian down, quite recently; I believe she truly was in love with him. I don't think that Chloe had really ever considered becoming anything more with Alek, so it caught her off guard; and let's be honest, who wouldn't continue kissing an attractive young man who was a "great kisser"? And yes, she reacted instinctively, but she did apologize for it, and she did not jump to Alek, because she realized that she still needed to get over Brian._

_I thought it was quite interesting how she displayed very human characteristics, which was quite the paradox, with the main plot of the episode, revealing her true identity to her mother. To be honest, if Chloe and Alek had gotten together in that episode, I would have been disappointed. It would have been anticlimactic, and unrealistic. I do not believe Chloe is a fickle girl, just someone who is trying to find her niche in the world, and who she wants to share it with. Of course, we all know that it's Alek, but for now I am content to watch her conflict, and write fanfiction. _

* * *

><p>The RV rumbled along the road, and Alek Petrov admired the scenic landscape that they were passing by, before turning his warm brown eyes on a much prettier sight.<p>

He wasn't quite sure when he had fallen for Chloe King. There was no one specific point where he could pinpoint exactly when he had fallen in love with the slightly naïve Uniter. It was more like a series of moments, in which he had realized that Chloe meant so much more to him than any Mai he had met thus far.

If he were being completely honest with himself, he would have to admit that he had always admired Chloe, though for the longest time it had been from afar. Though the relatively normal girl chose a reputation of isolation, due to her...quirky choice of friends, no one could deny that she possessed a natural beauty about her.

Alek remembered being on the school newspaper with her. Naturally, he had been the sports reporter, but he had always enjoyed the articles Chloe had turned in. For the better part of that year, he had sat behind the blonde haired girl, wanting nothing more than to tug one of her pale blonde curls. He had lived for those moments when he interacted briefly with her. But he was a basketball player, and she hung around the comic addict. He was Mai, and she was human. They exchanged few words, though Alek utilized every bit of sarcasm, whilst in her presence, just to see her pretty blue eyes flash with anger.

He supposed it had been long in coming. The seeds had been planted long ago, and the close proximity, along with the lack of solid barriers, and the need to trust one another, had allowed Alek to fall in love with Chloe.

The Russian born Mai had not been foolish enough to assume that he would never find love. After all, he knew that all Mai fell in love eventually. For every Mai, their counterpart was created. But he certainly had not been ready for the love he felt for Chloe.

He was not unique in the fact that he would toss himself in front of a bullet to save the Uniter; however, he would rather die himself, than bring any harm to Chloe King, whether it be emotional, physical, or mental. It was how he knew that he truly loved her. In fact, Alek had begun to suspect that Chloe was his counterpart.

He sighed, and stared at the dozing girl, not even caring if he was being completely obvious. Falling in love with Chloe was dangerous. And if she was his counterpart, it was even more so. Alek was strong, but he didn't know if he would be able to handle the baggage that came with the beautiful Mai.

After all, how could he share Chloe with her eight other counterparts from the prophecy?

* * *

><p>Chloe King frowned, her blonde curls loose, and spilling onto a crisp sheet of white paper, with neatly typed words, scrawling across the page, like little black ants, marching along in straight lines. Well, in Chloe's humble opinion, it was a death march.<p>

After a brief catnap, she had decided that she should probably take a look at the manuscript Valentina had left to her. It was supposed to be a guide on how to behave properly at such an important function as this. Valentina had assured her that her position as the Uniter would secure her authority and vital status, but still, as she would be put on display, as the main attraction of sorts, there was a way she was expected to act at all times.

Just reading through the guide was making Chloe's head ache. She rubbed her throbbing forehead in frustration, attempting to make sense of Valentina's words. A futile endeavor at its finest. Valentina had written the guide in a way that made it sound as if it had been copied straight from a textbook. Chloe would not be surprised if that were the case. However, unlike a textbook, it did not have helpful hints, or at least amusing scribbles, courtesy of its previous owners.

Chloe was sure that her frustration was showing, for everyone seemed to be giving her a wide berth. Not that she was ungrateful. Quite the opposite. She was quite glad that she had privacy, but she was frustrated and irritable; itching to lash out at someone or something.

She felt ready to jump out of her skin at any given moment, so when Alek placed a soft hand on her shoulder, she felt that it wasn't her fault in the slightest that she leaped out of her chair, hissing and baring her teeth at her fellow Mai. After all, everyone knew not to sneak up on a grouchy cat. Well, Chloe had assumed that everyone knew. Apparently it was only one of the many missed memos Alek seemed to be eluding. Along with the information that stalking is considered creepy by the rest of society.

"Down there kitty." Alek said with a smirk, holding his hands flat out in front of him in a peaceful gesture, showing Chloe that he meant no harm. Though the Uniter seriously doubted that. After all, whenever Alek walked away, Chloe was usually more confused than when she had been simply minding her own business, singing to her own tune.

"Don't call me kitty." She snapped, and continued to glare at Alek, crossing her arms over her chest. "What do you want? Don't you have eyes? I'm a little busy at the moment, so I would appreciate some privacy." _No, stay. _Chloe's mind was begging. _Keep me company. _It certainly sounded more appealing than her current task.

"Obviously. I could feel you burning holes into that sheet of paper from across the RV." Alek said dryly, and glanced over her shoulder to see what Chloe was attempting to decipher. Recognizing the works of writing, he groaned, and brought his hand up to his face. "Oh Baset. Do not tell me that Valentina tried to give you a rulebook on the procedures and proper etiquette for the Gathering."

Chloe's irritated expression melted slightly, and her posture displayed the sudden shift in confidence, her shoulders drooping slightly, and her arms falling down to her sides. "W-what do you mean? You've read it before? Any helpful hints?"

Alek snorted. "Of course I've never read it. It's a load of drivel. Well, I've read the first page, but as soon as I did, I chucked it in the rubbish bin. Come on Chloe, I thought you were smarter than to fall for something like that."

Now Chloe was really uneasy. "What do you mean 'fall for something like that'? Valentina tricked me?" The sixteen year old Mai's voice rose slightly in octave as the disbelief made itself clear. Both noticed Jasmine looking over at them sharply, but both ignored it.

Alek shook his head. "No. But you certainly don't need that. It's outdated, and full of stiff, rigid rules. And the Gathering is not that kind of game."

Confused, Chloe cocked her head to the left slightly, giving Alek the signal that she was now intrigued, and he had her full attention.

Sighing, and running a hand through his hair, Alek sat down, urging Chloe to do the same, and he began to explain. "Look, as much as they say that the Gathering is a convention and a meeting for all the Mai to catch up, it's a political party. While we are another race entirely, we interact closely with humans. Our societies are interwoven with each other; the Gathering would be akin to a session of Congress."

Chloe bit her lip nervously, sitting on the edge of the simple wooden chair; the twin to the one that Alek was currently seated on. "But I-I don't know much about politics. I mean, I'm good at government, but I'm guessing things will be fairly different. Why didn't Valentina tell me this whole thing would be political? What will I have to do? Will I-"

"Chloe, breathe!" Alek instructed, laughing, but his tone sharp all the same. He could just picture it now; arriving to the Gathering with the news that the Uniter had lost another life, due to her inability to breathe between the million questions that she had dizzied herself with.

"Right. Breathing now." Chloe said, and a small smile was playing on the corner of Alek's lips at her statement. She smiled in response, before her expression became serious once more. "But seriously, I am not good at politics. I don't want to be a lawyer or anything. But I'm going to be in the center of all of it, aren't I?"

The hopeless expression on Chloe's face left Alek yearning for the ability to simply lie, and say that she would be virtually uninvolved of any of the processes. However, he respected Chloe's intelligence far more than that. Besides, he did not want to break her trust. He doubted he would ever consciously choose to do so; he had already made that decision, and paid for it with a beating to the face. Though he was not bitter about the jackals. Chloe had been right about at least half of it.

"Unfortunately, yes. But don't worry, just stick with me, and I'll get you through the game." Alek said teasingly, though his suggestion was honest. He would do anything and everything for Chloe; helping her navigate the tricks and schemes of politics was a simple enough task. Though it might involve placing his life in danger, just as much as fighting off an assassin would. But it was one thing to get through a physical battle with Chloe's well being intact. It was another thing completely to help her through a political game, keeping her morals and virtues in place.

"Oh, and the Jocko is familiar with politics, is he?" Chloe asked teasingly, though Alek's response had the smile slipping off her face into a surprised look of seriousness, and the curiosity that seemed ever present in her eyes.

"Yes. And far more than he would like to be."

* * *

><p>"Hey Alek?"<p>

Chloe was fluffing up her pillow, and straightening out her sleeping bag, when the question popped into her mind. She sat back on her heels, and turned her pale blue eyes towards Alek's dark brown ones, hoping that he would be able to provide her with an answer. She was quite tired of running through her life without answers. She was just about sick of it, though she knew it was something she would have to get used to.

"Yes Chloe?"

Chloe shot Alek a tiny grin, before finally voicing the concern that had been weighing on her mind for the past few moments. "If the Gathering is mostly politics, why do you think that Valentina didn't tell me? I mean, that would be something I should know, right?"

Alek sighed heavily, and Chloe immediately got the feeling that she would not like his answer. A sigh like that was not often followed by a light hearted answer, such as 'it must have slipped her mind'.

"Probably because she wanted to cripple you." At Chloe's questioning glance, he explained. "Come on Chloe, think about it; knowledge is power. If you went into the Gathering, completely naïve, and uneducated in any of the inner workings, relying only on what others told you, you would be dependent on other people. Namely Valentina. I think she wanted you to use her as a crutch."

The savior of the Mai race frowned in confusion. "But…why?" For the most part, Chloe was a truly compassionate girl. She did not like seeing other people at a disadvantage, or seeing any being hurt. Hell, she nearly cried every time an ASPC commercial came on, showing the poor suffering animals. "I mean, what would she have to gain from it?"

"Power." Alek replied simply. "Knowledge is power, and power is man's greatest weakness. Apparently the same rings true for the Mai. Chloe, you have to understand; you are the Uniter. You haven't quite become accustomed to that yet, because we have all adjusted to you. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, but you're extremely down to earth for someone of such stature. Jasmine, Valentina and I have grown used to you. But the Mai do not know you as Chloe Nataliya King. They know you as the Uniter. And you're the trump card. Other Prides will be desperate to recruit you, Mai of authority will be clamoring to know what you think of their politics and their plans. Your opinion is held very high, and if you were dependent of Valentina, you would give her very good credit. And of course, she would want to ensure that you would stay in the San Francisco Pride."

Chloe might have simply been imagining it, but she could have sworn that Alek gave her a piercing look, as if searching her very soul to see what her response would have been. But she did not know. She was in the dark about politics, but she knew enough that she should not make any major decisions without carefully evaluating all of her options. So instead of answering him, she simply handed him her iPod, to place in the docking station and said, "Your turn to pick the song."

As she nestled into her sleeping bag, she let the music play in her ears, wondering if the song choice meant anything.

_Its like a hurricane, speed train, shes a moving car_

_Catch her in the fast lane, oh I gotta know,_

_Can I keep up with her pace?_

_Kick it into gear when I see that face_

* * *

><p><em>AN: I'm thinking about changing the name to 'Games of Glory'. Should I change it, or leave it? _


	3. Chapter 3: The Order Not of the Phoenix

**Warnings:** _This story will be on the high end of the 'T' spectrum. There will most certainly be an 'M' story accompanying this with outtakes that cannot be rated 'T', but that won't be for a little while._

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor 'Love Like Woe' by The Ready Set from the previous chapter. This is fanfiction, and not made for profit._

_I am British, so I tend to spell things like differently. I tried to keep it American, but feel free to point out if I wrote 'colour', or 'mum', when Alek is not speaking._

**IMPORTANT: **_In the event that the rumours of TNLOCK not getting a second season, please do everything you can to keep that from happening. Write all over ABC Family's facebook wall, vote for Skyler Samuels to win the Teen Choice award, and like the many facebook pages there are about Chloe King. And for those of you who are also Switched at Birth fans like I am, SaB is almost guaranteed a second season, so please, vote for Skyler. I love Katie LeClerc too, but if Alek and Chloe are never seen together on the screen, I just might cry _

**Other: **_The next time I update, it will be under the name Games of Glory. Thank you for all who gave your input, and I'm sorry for those who liked the original name. I just decided that the new name fit better with the direction I'm going. _

_Reviews are almost as lovely as Chloe and Alek!_

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><p>"Can you please change the radio?"<p>

Paul glared at his girlfriend, affronted at her request. "What's wrong with this?"

Amy rolled her eyes. "Oh please. You know I hate techno! It's so lame! I mean, I would rather listen to country music, than this drivel."

Chloe tossed a pillow at her best friend's head. "Blasphemy! Besides, Owl City is electronic, not techno. And they're amazing, right Paul?" Her other friend nodded his head in agreement, and then returned to bobbing his head along with the rhythm of the music. It looked like Amy had lost, but having heard the argument, Jasmine and Alek decided to join in.

"No, actually, he's awful."

Alek was immediately on the receiving end of an original Chloe King glare. "Really Alek? Have you ever even heard any of Owl City's songs?" The blonde British Mai arched a single eyebrow, making him almost painfully attractive.

"Yes, in fact, I have. A horrendous number titled Fireflies. I can honestly say, based on that one song alone, they have to be one of the worst bands on the entire planet." Chloe's eyes narrowed; any further, and they would shift into pale green cat like slits.

"Ooh, bad call there dude." Paul said, shaking his head. "Owl City is one of Chlo's favorite bands. You are now immediately blacklisted. Tough luck."

Alek was only slightly regretful. After all, if Chloe was an OC fan, he might have to reconsider things. There was only so much a guy could take.

"Doesn't matter to me. We should switch the radio to some rap music. Kanye West, preferably."

Amy snorted. "Oh please, I hate him. He interrupted Taylor Swift at the MVA's! I mean, who does that? The only thing I have ever liked him in is that Katy Perry song. Besides, I hate rapping. It's just talking rhythmically to a beat."

Jasmine now entered, saying, "Then why did I see that new song on your iPod, with Eminem? And not all rappers are awful. I'm kind of partial to Ludacris myself."

Amy nodded in consent. "Yeah, he's pretty good. I especially liked him in 'Break Your Heart'. But what song are you talking about? The only song I have with Eminem is 'Lighters', and I only bought that for Bruno."

Chloe's eyes widened, and she stopped glaring at Alek, to exclaim in happiness, "You have his new song? Do you have it on your phone?"

As the two girls began squealing and gossiping like regular high school girls, Paul began to explain to a confused Alek and Jasmine. "You know how most ten year old girls are obsessed with Justin Bieber? Yeah, Bruno Mars is their JB. I'm pretty sure all of Chloe's personalized ringtones are a Bruno song."

Now Alek was interested. "Oh really? So Chloe, what would my ringtone happen to be?"

The blonde girl simply smirked at him. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She taunted, before resuming her conversation with Amy. Alek glared at her in frustration, before attempting to ward off Paul's incessant questioning.

He never noticed the shrewd looks that Jasmine kept directing his way.

* * *

><p>"Stop it."<p>

Alek glared at Jasmine, who was blocking his entrance to the bathroom.

"Stop what? Breathing? Walking? Blinking? Be a little vaguer, would you?"

Jasmine glared right back at him. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Stop falling for her." Alek's stomach lurched when he realized what indeed the pair of them were discussing. "I love you, and I do not want to see you get hurt. But you will. You know that she's destined to love nine people. She might never even love you back. Alek-"

"I know!" He cried harshly. "I know the prophecy! '_Nine lives to live, nine lives to endure, each one harder than the last. Nine lives to love, none as strong as the last._' I know what the damn prophecy says Jasmine! Do you think I want this? Do you think that if I had a choice, if I could stop myself from falling for her, I wouldn't?"

"Would you?"

Alek paused, before finally saying, "No. No, I wouldn't." Jasmine sighed in frustration, and Alek ran a hand through his blonde locks. "I'm not falling for her Jasmine. I already fell. I fell so deep, I don't think I'll ever fall out." He glanced back, to where Chloe was once again sleeping on the couch.

Jasmine closed her eyes briefly. "Alek, she is going to break your heart. Even if she doesn't mean to, when she dies again, she will not be in love with you."

"Maybe she will!" Alek argued back, and Jasmine shook her head. "Look, Chloe has already died already. So who did she love in her first life?"

"Alek, it doesn't work like that! She doesn't have a love in every one of her lives, she will have nine loves in total. And I am sorry to say, that you are not the last one. Now I suggest you figure something out, before you do something stupid."

"Too late."

* * *

><p>"So kiddos, does Pizza Hut sound good for lunch?"<p>

Chloe smiled at her mother. She was just so…amazing. She simply took everything in her stride. Even when Chloe had told her about being Mai, and all of her secrets, Meredith King had been most relieved to realize that her daughter was not doing drugs, or a sex addict. Chloe had been slightly offended at the second suspicion, though between Xavier, Brian, and Alek, she could understand how that could have been a fear for her mother.

"Sounds great Mom. Pizza Hut is our favorite."

"Of course Momma M! I mean, Paul and I haven't had Pizza Hut since our last movie night, and that was like, a month ago."

Meredith nodded at her surrogate daughter. "It has been far too long. I guess we'll just have to rectify that when we get back to San Francisco. Geez, I can hardly believe that we're going to New York, to a conference of…Mai, a species I didn't even know exist."

"You okay there Mom?" Chloe asked, eyeing her mother warily. She knew that it was quite a lot to take in. After all, Meredith had to come to terms with the fact that her sixteen year old daughter was not even a human. It was quite a lot to swallow, and Chloe did not hold it against her mother in the slightest.

"Of course. It's just still…sinking in, you know?"

Chloe spoke to her mother, though her eyes were trained on Alek, who was walking into the Pizza Hut in front of them. "Oh yeah. Believe me, I know. I'm pretty sure it still hasn't sunk into me yet." And with those parting words, Chloe entered the restaurant, leaving her mother behind, wondering if there was something more going on between Chloe, and her daughter's protector, than she had originally thought. After all, they both seemed quite attached.

When they entered, they found Alek and Paul already sitting down, practically bouncing in anticipation. Amy and Jasmine rolled their eyes at their respective boys. "Men." They said simultaneously, before bursting into laughter.

Chloe and Meredith slid into the booths, and somehow, Chloe ended up next to Alek, accidentally bumping his shoulder as she sat down. She quickly apologized, but blushed, as Alek's intense gaze lingered on her, longer than was strictly necessary.

Before they knew it, they were ordering their drinks and pizza laughing and exchanging jokes. However, Chloe couldn't shake the feeling like someone was watching them. As Jasmine and Alek had always insisted that she rely on her instincts, she glanced around, and felt as if her stomach turned to ice.

They were here. The Order was here.

* * *

><p>Alek quickly became aware of a very irritating poking sensation, around his midsection. After a particularly sharp jab, he hissed at Chloe. "What the bloody hell is it? And will you please keep your hands away from me? I know I'm irresistible, but this is not what I imagined, when you finally got your hands all over me?"<p>

"Alek! They're here! There are Order members here!"

Alek gave no outward sign of having heard anything out of the ordinary, but his muscles tensed, and his heartbeat sped up rapidly. "How do you know?" He whispered back, taking a casual sip of his drink. "Are you sure?"

"Ten o clock. They're staring at us. They have the same rapiers that the assassin from last week had. Plus throwing stars." Alek gave the Uniter a tiny, imperceptible nod.

"I'll tell Jasmine. When I give the signal, get Amy, Paul and your mum to safety. Do not engage them in a fight. Jazz and I will take care of them." Chloe wanted to protest, but Alek had already turned to Jasmine, and Chloe was gently squeezing her mother's hand. Meredith seemed slightly confused, but in the next instant, everything became crystal clear, while simultaneously making everything infinitely more confusing.

"NOW!" Alek yelled.

Chloe pushed her mother and best friends under the table, while Jasmine and Alek leaped over it. Jasmine landed, somersaulting on the ground, and popping up, catching one assassin with her foot. Alek and the other man immediately began dueling, a flurry of fists and blows.

"Chloe, what's going on?" Meredith shrieked. She trusted her daughter with her life, and Jasmine and Alek as well. However, she heard screams, and breaking glass. All she knew, was that she and the teenagers were in danger. She needed to know what was happening, she needed reassurance that her daughter would be alright.

Chloe however, had no idea what was happening above the table. She was completely in the dark, and it was her least favorite place to be. She hadn't been going through that intense, regimented training with Alek and Jasmine for nothing after all. She was learning, she knew how to fight, and hold her own against assassins. She had been doing it for all this time anyways.

She heard a cry from above her, and she saw Jasmine fall to the ground. It was the last straw for Chloe. Leaping out from under the table, she dove at the man who had tossed Jasmine to the ground. She began matching him, blow for blow, even managing to land a few punches in, whilst avoiding the deadly weapon in his hand, not wanting to get slashed up by his blade.

"Chloe, get back under the table!" Jasmine shrieked, standing up and beginning to fight another assassin. Turning around at the sound of his cousin's voice, Alek glared at Chloe, eyes practically black with fury.

"Get back to fucking safety you idiot!" He screamed at her, but as usual, Chloe ignored him. Remembering her many practice sessions with the two other Mai, she pulled her leg up, and managed to kick the assassin in the throat, sending him straight to the ground.

However, her victory was cut short; literally. Letting out a cry as the assassin behind her sliced her arm with a dagger, Chloe dropped to the floor. Refusing to admit defeat, she braced herself against the tiles, fire shooting up her injured arm, and swung her foot against the man's leg, tripping him.

"You think you are enough to handle us, Uniter?" He spat from his position on the ground, as Chloe scrambled to her feet. "You are one, we are many. You will die, eight more times, and then your precious race will be exterminated. Eight lives will not last you long. Especially when you are under the threat of a knife."

As if cued, another Order member approached Chloe from behind, wrapping an arm around her waist, and holding a knife to her throat.

Chloe took in a sharp breath, feeling the knife dig into her flesh slightly, barely breaking the skin. A tiny strip of flesh turned red with her blood. At the moment, she had no doubts. She was going to die. Maybe once, maybe as many as eight more times. But she was sure that she would not survive this with all eight lives intact.

She saw Amy and Paul's terrified expressions from under the table. But when she saw her mother's horror struck eyes, Chloe felt terror truly strike in the pit of her stomach. How would her mother be able to stand seeing her daughter die? She tried to convey all of her apologies in her tear filled blue eyes. But in the end, no apologies were actually necessary.

Chloe felt a jerk from behind her, and the tip of the knife dug deeper into her neck, drawing more blood, and eliciting a gasp from the helpless Mai. Turning around, she saw Alek standing over the fallen Order assassin, holding the knife in his hand, and glaring at Chloe.

She swallowed, the bright red blood stark in contrast against her pale white skin. She felt more terrified under Alek's glare than she had under the threat of the sharp knife. The fury in his gaze was far scarier than the assassins they had just faced.

Dropping the knife on the floor with a clatter, Alek took several threatening steps towards Chloe, until their bodies were practically touching. Due to their height difference, Chloe found herself having to tilt her head back to stare up into Alek's dark, livid eyes. She was holding her breath, and she felt her heart rate speed up significantly, as she waited for Alek's next move. He was never predictable, and Chloe truly had no idea what he would say.

Finally, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Never do that again."

* * *

><p>Chloe was once again attempting to settle into her sleeping bag. It had been a long hard day, and she was ready to turn in for the night. After the assassins had been taken care of, her mother had ushered the teenagers out of the pizzeria as soon as possible, in an effort to escape the media. Thankfully they had just managed to evade them.<p>

However, after the event, she had to deal with her mother's fussing, Amy's freaking out, Paul's exclamations on how cool her actions had been, Jasmine's angry scolding, and Alek's harsh silence.

But it was the silence that hurt Chloe most of all. She could not understand why Alek was so upset. She had finally chalked it up to some masochistic thing. Of course, there were some flaws in her logic; Alek let Jasmine fight, why not her? Yet Chloe fully intended to confront Alek about it. He needed to learn a few things, and Chloe would be more than happy to teach him.

She had waited until they were alone in their tent, and now that they finally were, Chloe glared at him. "We need to talk." She said briskly. Alek barely acknowledged her, but Chloe could tell that he was listening. "What the hell was that earlier? I may not have as much experience as you or Jasmine, but I can fight! Why the hell wouldn't you want me to?"

Alek glared straight back at her. "Your inability to handle yourself in a fight was made quite clear this afternoon. You had a knife pulled on you Chloe. You could have lost a life, or more. You acted foolishly, and if you think you will ever be permitted to act in such a way again, you are sadly mistaken."

Chloe bristled. "I jumped in because one of those psychos had Jasmine on the ground! And I took out two assassins with only two cuts, and all eight of my lives! But even if I had lost a life, I wouldn't have cared!"

Alek looked at her sharply, and his gaze narrowed. "Don't you dare say that. You are the Mai's only hope. A hair on your head is more important than all of us, let alone your lives. Take better care of them, and try not to make my job so damn difficult!"

Chloe glared right back at him. "I will say that! I will say as I please! They are _my_ lives. My lives to live and die! And I would willingly sacrifice all eight of my lives for one of my friend's!" Seeing Alek open his mouth to argue hotly, she cut him off. "You are my protector, are you not? You would die for me! Why am I not allowed to do the same? The only difference is that I have seven more lives than you that I could and would willingly sacrifice."

And with that statement, Chloe rolled over, and pressed 'play' on her iPod. Incidentally, the song that was playing was the very song that was Alek's ringtone. Allowing the song to lull her into an uneasy sleep, she let Bruno Mars do all the talking for her.

_You know I'd do anything for ya'_

_I would go through all this pain_

_Take a bullet straight through my brain_

_Yes I would die for ya'_

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><p><em>AN: Please review!_


	4. Chapter 4: Sleeping Around

**Warnings:** _This story will be on the high end of the 'T' spectrum. There will most certainly be an 'M' story accompanying this with outtakes that cannot be rated 'T', but that won't be for a little while._

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor 'Grenade' by Bruno Mars from the previous chapter. This is fanfiction, and not made for profit._

_I am British, so I tend to spell things like differently. I tried to keep it American, but feel free to point out if I wrote 'colour', or 'mum', when Alek is not speaking._

**IMPORTANT: **_In the event that the rumours of TNLOCK not getting a second season, please do everything you can to keep that from happening. Write all over ABC Family's facebook wall, and like the many facebook pages there are about Chloe King. If Alek and Chloe are never seen together on the screen, I just might cry _

**Other: **_I know that many of you are curious about the eight other counterparts. I won't answer any questions, because that is a major part of the plot. However, just know that Chalek is my OTP. I may include slight Chloe/OC or Alek/OC, but that is just a stepping stone to Chloe/Alek endgame. Few people are lucky enough to have been only with their future wife/husband, and of course, Chloe and Alek are never lucky. Just rest assured that Chloe and Alek will be the final pairing in this verse. Also, keep an eye out; a very important OC is introduced in this chapter!_

_Reviews are almost as lovely as Chloe and Alek!_

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><p>Chloe had never really understood why romance novels seemed to all have the same aspects. There was always a love triangle, the girl was always exceptionally attractive, and there was always a scene where the man admired the girl sleep. She had never understood the appeal of it before now. But then again, she had never witnessed Alek Petrov sleeping before.<p>

It wasn't nearly as sappy as romance novels played it up to be, but she had to admit, she could not tear her eyes away from his sleeping form. He was stretched out on the couch, his breathing even, his face so relaxed. Chloe rarely saw him with his guard so low, so what she was witnessing was intriguing, and almost…endearing.

However, she knew that Alek would not appreciate her staring. Or maybe he would, and then he would tease her mercilessly about it. Neither option really would surprise her, nor did they sound appealing to her. So she gently got up from her position, perched on the small armchair, and set the blanket that had been covering her legs down on the ground.

She quietly walked over to where Alek was sleeping, and she gently shook his shoulder. Apparently that was the wrong thing to do, because within moments, he had sprung up from his position on the couch and launched himself at her, propelling both of them over the coffee table, and then pinning her arms over her head on the ground.

Chloe was frozen, her breath caught in her chest, and her eyes wide. Alek was panting heavily, before he finally seemed to realize what was happening, and who he had just tossed to the ground. But instead of apologizing, or moving, Alek's tense expression melted into a smirk.

"Well, if this isn't quite an interesting situation to be in. Tell me King, just how long have you really wanted me for?"

Chloe glared up at Alek, though she made no move to escape his grasp. "Oh please Petrov. You're the one that has me on the ground with my hands above my head. Now I'd appreciate it if you would get off of me now."

Yet he stayed where he was. Chloe quickly became acutely aware of how their bodies were brushing against each other. She realized just how sexual position probably looked, and most definitely felt. So with great effort, she managed to wrestle her arms free of Alek's grasp, and she pushed him off of her.

"I was trying to wake you up to let you know that we're in the city. I definitely won't be making that mistake again." And with those parting words, Chloe stood and walked off back into the bedroom in the back of the RV, leaving a disappointed Alek behind.

Suddenly glancing around, he realized that he and Chloe had not been alone, like he had previously believed. In fact, Amy, Paul, and Jasmine were all staring at him. He groaned. Just what he wanted. The Spanish Inquisition. "What?"

Amy snorted. "Oh like you don't know. So when were you planning on letting me know that you are in love with my best friend?"

Paul looked alarmed at the statement, and gave Alek an apologetic look. "Whoa, dude, sorry, but I don't feel the same. I just don't swing that way. Never meant to give you a different impression, you know."

Alek rolled his eyes, and Amy swatted Paul on the head. "Not you, you idiot! You're my boyfriend, Chloe is my best friend! Alek is in love with her!"

Paul once again gave Alek a strange look, as if falling in love with Chloe was such a strange concept to him. Though, considering the fact that he had been friends with Chloe for years, yet had never acted on it, the idea probably was utterly foreign to him. "Really?"

Groaning once more, Alek complained, "Can we please go back to thinking that I'm gay?"

Amy shook her head. "No way. You're head over heels in love with Chloe, and I want details. Besides, if we're going with the cover story that you're gay, you have to come over for dinner and meet my dads." Alek paled at the thought of spending a whole evening with her and her fathers, without anyone else to help him out of that sticky situation.

"There are no details." Alek said with a glare. Now if only he could convince himself of the same. "Because there is nothing going on. Now if you're done trying to pry into my love life, which is the byproduct of your overactive imagination, you might realize that New York City is actually real, and right outside our windows."

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><p>"Wow. This is a really nice hotel." Chloe looked up at the stunning five star hotel. "Are you sure that we can afford to stay here? I mean, a Motel 8 works just as well."<p>

Her statement was met by blank stares from Jasmine and Alek. She supposed they were still adjusting to her naïve, down to earth attitude.

"Chloe, it is fine. The Mai are paying for all of this. And we're doing pretty well for ourselves. Don't worry. Just enjoy it while you can. After all, this isn't a vacation." Chloe bit back a sigh. Good old Jasmine, always reminding her that she had a job to do.

"Don't worry, the vacation time happens at the parties, around two in the morning." Alek interjected sarcastically, and Jasmine rolled her eyes at her cousin. Chloe smiled at the familiarity of the scene. It seemed that there would be no end to Alek's smart mouth, and Jasmine would be doomed to a perpetually immature cousin. Though Chloe wasn't exactly the epitome of maturity herself, what with her responses, and constant banter with Alek. But she had begun to simply accept it as how she interacted with her protector.

"Well, if they have to ask us to downgrade, I totally will understand." Chloe said, looking at the stunning hotel once again. "How did they even manage to reserve a single room in this place, let alone four?"

"It helps that the NYC Pride owns this hotel."

Chloe and her five other companions whirled around at the sound of a new voice. A tall, skinny boy approached them, hands in his pockets, and a wry grin on his face. His blonde hair was splayed every which way, and his attractive green eyes were twinkling with kindness. He was easily taller than Alek, though he was shaped rather like a pencil. Bringing his hand out of his pocket, he held it out to Chloe first, to shake as a greeting.

"Hey there. I'm Leighton Decker."

Chloe's blue eyes darted from the sign adorning the hotel, back to the new addition to their little cluster outside the door.

"As in Decker-"

"Decker Hotels? Yep, that would be me. The third Decker child. Well, like I said, I'm Leighton. I'm a part of the New York City Pride. My dad is the leader, and he owns the hotel. Really, the rooms were no trouble. After all, you are the Uniter." His eyes lingered on Chloe's for a little longer than strictly necessary, and a small smile appeared on Chloe's face, almost of its own accord. Alek took notice of this, and his eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly at Leighton. No one noticed this; aside from Jasmine.

"It's Chloe, actually. Uniter, yes, but I'm also just a sixteen year old girl."

Leighton laughed, a nice sound that seemed to put Chloe immediately at ease. "I know exactly what you mean. Well, come on, how about I help you folks with your bags. I'm about as nice as you'll find in the city, unless you happen to be in the presence of other Mai, or putting money into humans' pockets. NYC is quite notorious for not being a people friendly city."

"Well, from you I just couldn't tell." Chloe joked good naturedly with Leighton. He grinned back at her, and Alek had to contain a small growl.

"Takes all kinds, right? Well come on, I've got your keys; I figured you guys wouldn't want to have to go through the trouble of going up to the front desk and all."

"Well that was very sweet of you. Your kindness is much appreciated." Meredith King said, glad that such a nice boy was helping them. But she couldn't help noticing that he had taken quite a liking to her daughter already. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about the trail of boys that her daughter seemed to be gaining.

"But can we trust you?"

Leighton looked rather surprised by Alek's question, and sensing his confusion, Jasmine took pity on him, and elaborated.

"We are Chloe's protectors. I'm sure that you already know how much the Uniter means to our people. We have to protect her at all costs, and that means being distrustful of everyone. It isn't anything personally against you." Of course, for Alek, it was, but as much as Jasmine wanted Chloe to be with her cousin, she wanted Chloe to be happy as well. And she could already tell that Leighton was making that possible.

"I'm not quite sure what you mean; I can't prove that I'm trustworthy, I can't prove that I'm not. I have identification to prove that I am who I say I am, but other than that, I guess it's just a call you'll have to make yourselves."

Jasmine nodded. He was honest, which she appreciated. And Chloe seemed to trust him already, but her judgment was not always clear. Chloe seemed determined to see the best in just about everyone, from a human, to a jackal. It was her best quality, but the worst characteristic imaginable, when thinking about someone you had to protect.

"Well I believe you." Chloe declared with a smile, which Leighton returned.

Alek muttered under his breath, "Of course you do," which earned him a glare from the blonde haired Mai.

Amy, who had been silent up until now, decided to break in at that moment. "As charming as these introductions have been, why don't we go find our rooms, and get settled. It's already night time here, and from what you Mai have been talking about, it seems like we'll be needing our rest for tomorrow, especially Chloe."

Leighton looked surprised to see humans travelling with the Uniter, but none of that surprise was a part of his voice when he next spoke. "Absolutely. You were given the best rooms we had available, so here are your keys. I believe Chloe and her mother will each have individual rooms, while the rest of you will be sharing. If any of you need anything, contact me, or my brothers, and we'll assist you immediately. Anything we can do for you would be our pleasure." And with that, he led them into the gorgeous, and very ostentatious lobby.

The seven of them squeezed onto an elevator, and managed to find their floor, with Leighton's help. After bidding them good night, he left, and the five Californians, plus one Londoner paused outside their doors.

"Well, goodnight then." Meredith said uneasily, pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "Sleep easy; Amy was right, you have a huge day ahead of you tomorrow. Make sure you review that guide Valentina left for you. I'll be going to bed now; don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Yeah right.

* * *

><p>Alek twirled the card key to Chloe's room between his fingers, thinking about how he was going to lecture her when he snuck into her room. After opening her door, she had immediately put the hotel key in her back pocket, leaving a ten second window for Alek to swipe it from her. The girl truly needed to be more aware of her surroundings, before she was killed. Again.<p>

Alek was currently lounging on the extra bed, ignoring Paul as he jabbered on about something or another. Alek really didn't care. He was waiting for Amy's tell tale clunky footsteps, to relieve him of Paul duty. For some reason, Chloe's female friend actually seemed to enjoy the company of the comically addicted nerd. As did Chloe. The friendship befuddled Alek, but he wasn't very good at making friends.

It seemed that Chloe was a little _too _good at it.

Just the thought of _his _Chloe and that Leighton character left a bitter taste in his mouth. He hated how the two of them had hit it off nearly immediately, and how Chloe seemed to attract boys everywhere she went.

Alek had thought that he would forever live in jealousy of Brian Rezza, but when the college student had joined the Order, Chloe had finally let him go, albeit with a broken heart. Alek had not understood, but he recognized her pain enough not to say something that would have Jasmine harping on him for a lack of tact.

However, Leighton was different. The fifteen year old was Mai. Chloe could kiss him to her heart's content, she could do much more than kiss him. And Alek was comfortable enough with his sexuality to acknowledge that Leighton was an attractive young man. The kind of Mai that Chloe would almost certainly be interested in.

In fact, it often felt as if Chloe was interested in everyone but him. Hell, she had befriended a jackal! If Kai hadn't betrayed them, Alek was almost sure that Chloe would have displayed more than a friendly interest in him. Or at least him in her.

Finally hearing Amy approaching, Alek casually swung off the bed, grabbed his duffle bag full of clothes, and opened the door. "Stay safe kids!" He called to a surprised Amy and Paul, and he walked down the hall to Chloe's room. Sliding the card key in the lock, Alek entered the room silently, and saw a tired looking Chloe perched on the end of the soft hotel bed.

Her hair was wet, and dripping slightly on the bed, and her pajamas looked…absolutely adorable, the oversized shirt hanging off of her body, her pajama pants dragging on the floor slightly. Chloe looked completely innocent, and Alek practically melted, though he did not want to move from his position watching her.

Suddenly sensing another presence in the room, Chloe turned around, and practically jumped out of her skin. "Alek!" She cried, and Alek heard her heartbeat begin to slow down from the rapid pace it had risen to, within only moments. "Don't scare me like that! What are you even doing in here?"

"Hello Chloe. And I assumed that we would be reverting back to the original sleeping arrangements. After all, Amy and Paul have already done so. And I'd really rather not go back to that room at this point."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Oh please, it's Amy and Paul. _Paul_, Alek. They aren't doing anything. If I know them, Amy is probably trying to pick out her outfit for tomorrow, and Paul is probably trying to order Catwoman or something on Paperview."

Alek smirked at the pretty Mai. "I'm sure you're right. So, speaking of movies, what are you watching?" He gestured towards the television, and Chloe shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Some kid's movie. But it looked cute, and it was pretty much the only thing not full of sex, so I turned it on."

She sighed, and then looked at Alek, then back at the bed. "Um, there's only one bed." She said, and a blush spread over her face. Alek smirked, and glanced back at the comfortable looking bed.

"It appears that way. Is there a problem?"

Chloe blushed further. "Well, yeah! I mean, we are not, sharing a bed! A-are we?" Her final question was asked slightly weakly. Alek could have sworn that there was the tiniest bit of hope in her eyes, but he knew it was only wistful thinking.

"Of course we are. It's a big bed after all. We'll be comfortable, we probably won't even touch."

* * *

><p>Almost two hours later, Chloe was snuggled up against him, her head resting on Alek's chest, her own moving up and down in soft little breaths as she slept. Alek was watching her sleep, a soft smile on his face. Chloe would be so disappointed to learn that she fell asleep before the bird learned how to fly. She had been cheering for the little blue thing, since its opening dance number.<p>

Letting the music of the credit sequence permeate the room, Alek drifted his eyes, and fell asleep, next to the most beautiful Mai in the world.

_I've found a girl_

_The one I can live for_

_The one who deserves_

_Every part in my heart I'm giving out_

* * *

><p><em>AN: Please review!_


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